Latest news with #Tokyo
WIRED
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- WIRED
'Persona 5: The Phantom X' Brings The Series To Your Phone—and It's Shockingly Good
Jun 27, 2025 3:11 PM The free-to-play game is the first time the JRPG is available on mobile, offering fans a quick fix with a few hidden costs. Still from Persona 5: The Phantom X. Courtesy of fortyseven communications Persona games are herculean efforts to finish. A single playthrough of any game in the main series, which includes everything from saving the world to studying for finals, frequently clocks in at around 100 hours. Much of that time is spent building relationships with the game's characters and world by hanging out with friends, doing mundane tasks like laundry, or finding new parts of the city to explore. It creates a dedication that leaves many players so attached to each game's cast that they'll eagerly jump into new experiences just to get more time with them. Persona 5 was no exception. Since its launch in 2016, the JRPG has inspired spinoffs across a variety of genres, from rhythm game Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight to the strategy-based Persona 5 Tactica . On June 26, co-developers Atlus, Sega, and Perfect World released Persona 5: The Phantom X —a spinoff for PC and mobile that mirrors the original game so closely, it works as both an easy introduction to the series, and an enjoyable re-entry into Persona 5 's world. Much like with Persona 5 , Phantom X s follows a group of teenage vigilantes known as Phantom Thieves who gain the power to summon powerful entities, Personas, to fight evil forces. More directly, the game feels like Persona 5 , adopting its turn-based battle system, music, visual style, social links, and more to deliver an experience on PC and mobile devices that works surprisingly well for a series with so much to do. While The Phantom X opens almost identically to the original game, it quickly veers away from Persona 5 's cast to establish its own. Something is off in the world of high school student Nagisa Kamishiro, where people are losing the desires that guide their free will and dreams. In order to help people reclaim their lives, Nagisa and his friends will need to crawl through the Metaverse, a foe-filled alternate reality only they can enter, and fight back. The Phantom X is free-to-play, but is a gacha game, meaning it has in-game purchases and relies on randomized pulls for things like characters from other games in the series and items. It's a controversial style that can prompt players to fork over cash endlessly to get the experience they want. Because of that system, The Phantom X is best played at a daily pace, rather than long stretches. The game has daily activities and awards to earn, and developers plan to continue releasing content for it over the coming months. Right now, the game only features Japanese voice acting and English subtitles, which may be a deterrent for some fans. Although the Persona series is available on handheld consoles, like the PS Vita or Nintendo Switch, The Phantom X is the first time the more traditional JRPG version is available on mobile. The game uses touch controls to move through its world and select commands. Its cutscenes work well even on a small screen, and though its menu can feel at times cramped (depending on your screen size) it's an experience that flows seamlessly. Mobile platforms are well-suited to the dungeon crawling aspects of the game especially, allowing for much needed breaks and the ability to quickly jump back in at any time. For players who want to relive the highlights of the Persona 5 universe, The Phantom X is an easy recommendation. Its faithful recreation of the original game's best elements, mixed with a new story, makes the experience feel like a premium one—and a promising look at what a Persona game could look like on your phone.
GSM Arena
3 hours ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
Google Pixel 7 sales banned in Japan, Pixel 8 and 9 might follow
Google just lost the right to sell its Google Pixel 7 series after a recent patent dispute with Korean mobile phone company Pantech. According to a district court in Japan, Google was found guilty of infringing a patent related to LTE connectivity. Pantech filed a lawsuit against Google, arguing that the tech giant used the exact same technology described in a patent belonging to Pantech. The patent relates to how the LTE modem in Pixel phones communicates with the cell towers. The patent, however, wasn't licensed under fair and reasonable conditions. As a result, the Tokyo court ruled that Pixel 7 phones should be removed from the shelves since Google refused to cooperate. The company refused to pay a reasonable royalty fee and also refused to provide data on the number of Pixel 7 phones sold in Japan. The Japanese market is very important for Google because it is the second-largest smartphone vendor in the country after Apple, surpassing the likes of Samsung and Xiaomi. Pantech is now filing another lawsuit against Google, targeting the more recent Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series, so unless the two companies reach a compromise these two might face the same fate. Source 1 | Source 2
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aston Martin Unveils Ultra-Luxury Private Residence in Tokyo's Most Desirable Location
Aston Martin Unveils Ultra-Luxury Private Residence in Tokyo's Most Desirable Location originally appeared on Autoblog. If the article detailing Aston Martin's residence tower in Miami left you wanting more, you're in luck! The British automaker recently revealed N°001 Minami Aoyama, Tokyo, its first ultra-luxury residence in Asia, and what a residence it is. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Created in partnership with Japanese luxury real estate developer VIBROA Inc., the four-story residence is situated in Tokyo's Omotesandō neighborhood, a renowned shopping district located between Harajuku and Aoyama. Right away, the façade stands out thanks to its vertical metal louvers, whose appearances change as the sun rises and falls in the sky, reflecting off their surface. Glimpses of the interior can also be seen between the louvers. The first floor houses the spa facilities, including a sauna and spa bath with natural Hinoki timber cladding and a specially designed audio system. Right next door is a landscaped private terrace, with its own outdoor Onsen pool and seating. Oh, and about that audio system, the entire residence has a Bowers & Wilkins Audio System wired in, so your tunes can play in any room. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article The basement takes advantage of the site's sloping nature to house a gym, wine cellar, a golf simulator system, a private spa, and three en-suite bedrooms. The two-car garage, or "automotive gallery" as Aston Martin refers to it, features adaptive lighting and a wave-textured metal ceiling. The cars can also be from within the house, thanks to the glass panel that separates the garage from the lounge and meeting room on the ground floor. Natural light was reportedly a high priority when building the residence, and as you ascend to the rooftop terrace, the materials transition from dark to light "to mirror the journey towards the light." The terrace contains a kitchen facility, a section of planted green roof, and tremendous views of the Tokyo Tower. Oh, and speaking of that staircase, Aston Martin and VIBROA Inc. call it an "origami staircase," made from folded steel and illuminated by a pendant chandelier. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article The two companies also curated some very fitting Italian furniture for the residence, ranging from bespoke wardrobes to kitchen cabinets by Italian brand Molteni&C. The kitchen sports black lava stone surfaces and gray oak cabinetry, with "nebula steel" and pewter metal accents throughout. If you're worried that these are all off-the-shelf pieces, fret not, as reportedly many of the pieces were custom-designed under Aston Martin's direct supervision. I'm a design nerd, whether it's modern minimalism, 1970s kitsch, or everything in between. I was already entranced by Aston Martin's Miami residences, but their Japanese residence knocks it out of the park. It's clean, yet it doesn't feel empty. The various materials and colors used throughout, like the wood and dark metals, create a cozy, modern, and classy ambiance simultaneously. View the 6 images of this gallery on the original article Aston Martin and VIBROA Inc. don't mention a price tag or owner, of course, but considering the prices of their Miami residences, and the fact that this was built as a private residence, it's probably a figure that us mere mortals can't comprehend. Aston Martin Unveils Ultra-Luxury Private Residence in Tokyo's Most Desirable Location first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Japan Times
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
The 'internet' hated Switch 2 — consumers bought it anyway
Online, gamers declared the Switch 2 "anti-consumer.' In reality, no one cared. With Nintendo charging $450 for its new device — and up to $80 for some games — influencers and TikTokers took to their accounts to warn it was too expensive. Across social media, others decried how new terms of service gave the Japanese firm the ability to remotely disable the latest machine if they detected unauthorized activity. Many games sold in physical packages were, they complained, glorified download codes. Anyone expecting the backlash to dent sales was disappointed. The Switch 2 is not only Nintendo's best-selling device ever, it has become the fastest-selling games console of all time with 3.5 million units snapped up in the first four days alone. Shares have hit record highs. For executives, it's the latest example of an increasingly pertinent lesson: While the internet has given consumers a voice, you must not confuse it for reality. Separating the signal of genuine consumer sentiment from the noise of the most terminally online is a challenge. Early feedback can often be useful: Sony Group Corp. changed the design of the original "boomerang' PlayStation 3 controller after online mockery; Nintendo itself should have responded quicker to complaints about broken original Switch controllers. But frequently, digital conversation is divorced from actual consumer behavior. Consider how, as smartphones grew larger during the 2010s, online users demanded smaller devices that could be easily used with one hand — something Steve Jobs had championed before his death. But when Apple finally responded with the iPhone Mini in 2020, those users simply didn't show up in large numbers and it was discontinued in 2023. Having coined the slogan "think different,' Apple is used to facing down fuss, from its removal of MacBook disk drives to abandoning the headphone jack. Nonetheless, in the noise there is sometimes signal — the firm ignored the iPhone 4 "Antennagate' issue for much too long and was forced into an embarrassing climbdown. Online communities are frequently too far in the weeds to represent the average consumer. On social media, advocates for preserving physical games are upset with the Switch 2's Game Key cards, which are essentially just a code to download the game from the internet. The move is good for software makers, who pay less for the memory cartridge, but in future years means Nintendo will have to keep those downloads available. Still, it's a niche issue: The average Switch 2 buyer, raised on Netflix and Spotify Technology SA, likely couldn't care less about physical ownership of most games. It's also increasingly hard to isolate genuine fan engagement from click-chasing rage-bait. Online revenue-sharing creates incentive for insincere actors to generate controversy that often matters little to the wider public. There was much ink spilled and calls for boycotts ahead of the launch of Warner Bros. Discovery's "Harry Potter" game Hogwarts Legacy, owing to author J.K. Rowling's views on gender and trans issues. None of that stopped it becoming one of the best-selling of all time. Meanwhile, right-leaning activists have led backlashes over Sony's The Last of Us Part II (decried for inclusive changes from the first game, including a lesbian protagonist and transgender character) and Ubisoft Entertainment's Assassin's Creed Shadows (due to its choice of a Black samurai hero) that have had little sales impact. Knowing who to ignore isn't just a tech issue. A growing theory among those on the political left posits that the movement's failure to stop the election of U.S. President Donald Trump could be due to ideological capture by overly active online voices on the fringes — leading politicians to focus on niche concerns of little interest to the majority of voters. Of course, online issues can end up being important. The backlash to faded social network Tumblr's decision to eliminate adult content preceded a decline in popularity that saw it sold for a fraction of the $1.1 billion it cost in 2013. The #MeToo movement emerged from testimonies shared over social media to become a worldwide phenomenon. And indeed, much of the success of the Switch itself comes from Nintendo's responding to gamers' complaints about its predecessor, the Wii U. But consumers often simply don't know what they want. Henry Ford may not have actually said that if he'd asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. But it's nonetheless true that users will say one thing when their revealed preferences show otherwise. Social media is acclaimed as the "global town square' where grand ideas are debated and exchanged. But in reality, it's often more like a crowded bar — where the loudest voice usually isn't the one you should pay attention to. Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas.
NHK
7 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
Nikkei 225 recovers to 40,000 mark to hit year's high
Tokyo's benchmark stock index recovered to the 40,000 level on Friday for the first time in about six months to close at a year-to-date high. Investors bought in after the Trump administration indicated trade tariff deadlines may be extended, easing concerns about a slowdown in the global economy. The Nikkei 225 finished the day at 40,150, up 1.4 percent. The gains were led by semiconductor and export-related shares. The index extended its winning streak to four days. Analysts say investors are finding more reason to be optimistic about the US economy amid speculation the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates sooner than expected.
